Jan is a very popular quilting teacher and the author of a number of books, DVDs, and tools with C&T Publishing, three of which just came out this month: Quick Star Quilts & Beyond, Quilter’s Design Mirrors, and Half- & Quarter-Diamond Ruler Set. We caught up with her long enough to ask her a few questions.
What was your career before you became an artist?
I was a full-time military wife, homemaker and mother. We have lived in Texas, several locations in California, northern Virginia, Tennessee and Japan. My role as home manager was supplemented with quilting presentations and workshops.
What and when was your first experience as an artist?
I have enjoyed sewing, needlework and crafting since early childhood. In high school I was actively sewing clothing and created my first quilts in the early 1970s. I earned a degree in Textiles, Clothing & Design at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 1977.
What inspired you to make a career of your art?
Quilt making and instruction was a natural progression of the various needlework and creative textiles I was creating in the early 1970s. The quilt revival in the seventies brought enthusiastic interest in quilts, and a demand for quilt workshops and presentations.
I have been involved in the quilting industry on many levels: student, teacher, judge, author, designer, product developer, guild founder, guild officer, and program chairman.
How has your artistry changed over the years?
I began with the basic skills and classic, traditional patterns. When I started to make quilts, there were limited resources, publications and tools—the introduction of the rotary cutter, an explosion in publications, and improvements in domestic sewing machines created a thriving industry.
Quilt designs, textile arts of all genres fascinate me! Although I am primarily known for traditional designs with a contemporary flair, I enjoy all aspects of quilt making and surface embellishment.
What is your favorite aspect of your artistry and your artistic community?
The quilting community is unique. Quilt makers are not trained in the art form, but come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Each gathering of quilters worldwide features exciting fellowship, creative sharing and inspiration from various artistic backgrounds.
Do you have a process or ritual for starting new projects?
The past decade has trained me to document every new idea and design inspiration, from fabric selection through design layout and construction. I photograph the processes, step-by-step, in the event that I write the pattern for publication, or teach the pattern in the future. Frequently the current design inspires another related project, and I begin working in a series of related patterns until I exhaust the inspirations!
What happens when you finish a project? Do you celebrate?
I’m lucky because I enjoy all aspects of designing and making a quilt. My teaching schedule restricts the amount of creative time in my studio, and therefore I treasure the creative outlet whenever I can sew! It’s always wonderful to finish a project! These days my projects are usually created to meet a deadline—the pressure of finishing on time is a major motivation!
What new projects are on the horizon for you?
I’m fond of embellishments, lettering and layers in textile design and plan to explore these techniques in future projects.
Based in the United Kingdom, Christine Porter’s quilting has been inspired by architecture, in particular historic buildings and colors of floor tiles. This is evident in her new book Viva Venezia! Timeless Quilts Inspired by Italian Mosaic Floors. In a recent interview with Porter, I learned she is a woman whose work is always geometric, precise, and exact but she is yearning to break out of that comfort zone.
With her new book 
Have you ever noticed how many quilt designers got their start in an entirely different profession?
Lynne Farris has authored three books for C&T: 
Judy Sisneros, author of 
Judy first learned about the Agape Center at her church in Rocklin, CA, the Adventure Christian Church. She leads a group at the church called “Stitching With Love”, and they made quilts for the girls of the first “graduating class” at the Agape Center in Cambodia. The Center’s leaders suggested that teaching the girls to sew would give them a skill that could change their lives.
